Moral Law & Tattoos

September 15, 2010 By Kevin Sorenson

I’ve started a series on the Ten Commandments and have done a fair bit of reading on the three areas of the law in the Old Testament: ceremonial, civil and moral. The ceremonial governed the worship of the people of God in the OT; things like which animals were acceptable for sacrifice, how they ought to be prepared and presented. These were completely fulfilled in Christ, so that now, we have only two ordinances to observe: the Lord’s Supper and baptism. The civil law was specifically for the nation of Israel as a theocracy. These laws were designed to govern case law: how to deal with theft, murderers, slaves, etc. I’ll emphasize, these were specifically for Israel and not intended to stretch to other nations or for today.

It’s the area of moral law that still pertains to us today. Jesus came to fulfill the law, not abolish it (Matthew 5.17–20). This does not wipe out the moral law; it does make it “attainable” by us through Christ. The “Big Ten” are every bit as much for today as they were for Israel. Since these were spoken out of a context of redemption – “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20.2) – the laws then given were never intended to bring anyone merit, but rather, to bring order into the new life we have in our redeemed state. Of course, they all point to Christ, who fulfilled them – He lived them out perfectly, because we can’t.

Now, there’s one law that I got to thinking about this morning (I don’t know why; it just popped into my head around 5.30 AM while the fog in my brain was trying to clear) – Leviticus 19.28. This verse says:

You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD.

The one commentary I looked at said that while there was nothing morally wrong with the way a person cut their hair or beard (verse 27, preceding context), the prohibition here was related to the way in which foreign nations used such practices for worshiping false gods and idols.

I know I may stir up the pot here, but the overall context of v. 28 is moral law. Verse 26 prohibits eating of flesh with the blood still in it (not just immoral, but bad health practice). It then prohibits the seeking out of omens or fortune-tellers (so, drop that horoscope right now). The verses immediately following prohibit profaning our daughters by making her a prostitute, along with the command: Keep My Sabbaths – clearly a large part of the moral law.

So does this make tattooing one’s body immoral? Is this moral law only for Christians? If so, then is it immoral, and hence, a sin for a Christian to get a tattoo? At the very least, the discussion has to include talk about how even these moral laws were given to keep the people of God distinct from other nations/people who worshipped false gods (laws given for the sake of purity… and this certainly enters into the context here in Leviticus 19).

I’d be interested in hearing your arguments. Let the chips fall where they may!

I’m a sinner saved by grace. I’m simultaneously justified and a sinner. I’ve been called by God’s grace to be a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m joyfully the husband of one wife and the father of three children.

I was born in central Iowa, raised in a godly home with two first generation Christian parents. The Evangelical Free Church of Madrid, Iowa was where I heard the teaching of the Word of God all my “growing up” years. There were some of the most dear and faithful servants of our Lord serving there, who will never be known around the world, but will hear (or, as is the case for some already, have heard) their Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into your rest.”

When I was between the ages of 12 & 13, I attended Bible camp at Twin Lakesin northwest Iowa. Pastor Don Stover (another of those saints who has entered God’s rest) was telling us the story of Pilgrim’s Progress using blacklight flannel graph (really cool high-tech in 1970!). When Christian gets to the foot of the cross and his burden of sin rolls away into the empty tomb, God had me. I was gloriously converted to Jesus Christ, my Savior.

God’s call to the ministry was a long, gradual process through which He used many people to lead me and confirm within me His will to be a minister. He also used one or two key people to bring me to the doctrines of grace. I had been in ministry for about 6 years when the light of these truths were shown so brightly to me. I trust that I have grown in my understanding of them and have caused others to rejoice in the absolute free sovereign grace of our God.

I have been married for 29 years and have three children.I have earned a B.A. from Trinity College (now Trinity International University)in Biblical Studies, and later earneda MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, have served four Evangelical Free churches since 1986, and am currently the Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Rochester, MN since 1997.

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About Kevin Sorenson

I’m a sinner saved by grace. I’m simultaneously justified and a sinner. I’ve been called by God’s grace to be a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m joyfully the husband of one wife and the father of three children.

I was born in central Iowa, raised in a godly home with two first generation Christian parents. The Evangelical Free Church of Madrid, Iowa was where I heard the teaching of the Word of God all my “growing up” years. There were some of the most dear and faithful servants of our Lord serving there, who will never be known around the world, but will hear (or, as is the case for some already, have heard) their Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into your rest.”

When I was between the ages of 12 & 13, I attended Bible camp at Twin Lakes in northwest Iowa. Pastor Don Stover (another of those saints who has entered God’s rest) was telling us the story of Pilgrim’s Progress using blacklight flannel graph (really cool high-tech in 1970!). When Christian gets to the foot of the cross and his burden of sin rolls away into the empty tomb, God had me. I was gloriously converted to Jesus Christ, my Savior.

God’s call to the ministry was a long, gradual process through which He used many people to lead me and confirm within me His will to be a minister. He also used one or two key people to bring me to the doctrines of grace. I had been in ministry for about 6 years when the light of these truths were shown so brightly to me. I trust that I have grown in my understanding of them and have caused others to rejoice in the absolute free sovereign grace of our God.

I have been married for 29 years and have three children. I have earned a B.A. from Trinity College (now Trinity International University) in Biblical Studies, and later earned a MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, have served four Evangelical Free churches since 1986, and am currently the Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Rochester, MN since 1997.

Comments

If the context is truly one of pagan worship or staying above reproach to the nations…then that cultural context is irrelevant when considering the average practice of tattoos. If tattoos or piercings become an addiction or a way of practicing a dependence on something other than God, then the context probably still applies. But if it is a meaningful tattoo, done without a heart of idolatry, or done tastefully – I see no problem. If anything, I believe the right tattoo on the right person can be a beautiful thing and possibly a true mark of homage to one’s Creator.

I believe the liberty spoken of in Galatians and Hebrews speaks to this: it’s the heart that matters…not ones adornments or outward behaviors.

If the context is truly one of pagan worship or staying above reproach to the nations…then that cultural context is irrelevant when considering the average practice of tattoos. If tattoos or piercings become an addiction or a way of practicing a dependence on something other than God, then the context probably still applies. But if it is a meaningful tattoo, done without a heart of idolatry, or done tastefully – I see no problem. If anything, I believe the right tattoo on the right person can be a beautiful thing and possibly a true mark of homage to one’s Creator.

I believe the liberty spoken of in Galatians and Hebrews speaks to this: it’s the heart that matters…not ones adornments or outward behaviors.

Interesting thoughts, Eric. Glad you see the importance of context here.

However, I’m inclined to agree with Calvin that the heart is an idol factory. And I would humbly add, that the heart is an idol factory that is never idle! While it might be noble to do something that seems so against part of God’s moral law with the right heart’s attitude, our heart is “deceitful above all thing and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17.9)

I understand the liberty spoken of in the New Testament, but my advice is: use caution joined with the Spirit’s heavily influenced discernment in exercising liberty against moral laws.

Interesting thoughts, Eric. Glad you see the importance of context here.

However, I’m inclined to agree with Calvin that the heart is an idol factory. And I would humbly add, that the heart is an idol factory that is never idle! While it might be noble to do something that seems so against part of God’s moral law with the right heart’s attitude, our heart is “deceitful above all thing and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17.9)

I understand the liberty spoken of in the New Testament, but my advice is: use caution joined with the Spirit’s heavily influenced discernment in exercising liberty against moral laws.